I was 'born and raised' in Beaumont, TX, near Houston, where Johnny and Edgar also came of age.

It was a hoot, since in public school, we had to sign in the inside cover of our school books, when they were issued each Fall. I was a few years behind them, and I would wind up with a lot of their old books, where they'd signed for them a few years earlier, since both of our names ended in 'W'.

East Texas in the late 60's was, as you can imagine, a lot like those hick towns in 'Easy Rider'. But Johnny's parents were highly thought of, and most people remembered them as these little albino children, folks went out of their way to help them. After Johnny signed that huge Columbia record deal, it was a really big topic of conversation !

After he really became famous, I'll never forget the sight of him walking with his mother going to a downtown cafeteria: He had on these eye-burning tie-dyed coveralls, and an ice-box white ponytail hanging to his waist trailng behind. People on the sidewalk just parted . . . .

Edgar was always more R+B and Jazz, and had that great White Trash band (a great horn band record if you can find the old Columbia two-record set) that was a real tribute to the Boogie Kings, a band we all grew up listening to in East Texas and South Louisiana.

Ancient history. Records . . . . . Anyway, JW seems to have finally come to a place with a very supportive band and some respite from his chemical problems, so I think you're in for a great show.